Weird

This is a test....

 

Ever since blogger updated their interface, I have not been able to publish a post.  I can't even get the interface to load using Google Chrome.  So I launced Internet Explorer, which I don't like to use, logged in and now I can post.  I have no idea what the difference is, but now at least I can see something when I click on the pencil!

Very much missed.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

We miss you every day!

I write the songs!!!!!!

I am going to see this man in concert tonight and I

AM SO EXCITED!!!!!

Go ahead....make fun of me if you want.  My kids do,

(and really, so does my husband, but he is being a good sport and going with me.)

And I don't care one stinking bit!!!  

I have loved Barry Manilow since I was very little and I still do!!

I am PROUD to say I am a FANILOW!!!

seminary

1 day down,

A LOT to go.

School

 School started today.  Not everyone was thrilled!

My senior, just ready to get it over with.

My 10th grader, wishing he could be home schooled.

My 7th grader, wishing she had different teachers.

My 2nd grader, who is happy no matter what!

Fortunately, even though the older 3 weren't trilled with school, they all seemed to have a good attitude!

Hopefully that good attitude will be present when they arrive home!

Pictures didn't turn out the best....it was pouring rain this morning and they had to be done inside.  

Also made me laugh that although the girls didn't see each other this morning, they both posed the same!!

Happy Birthday!

to our awesome dad!!!

Hilarious!

My friend sent me this email this morning!  Made me laugh!

Good Morning Sunshine!!!

Yesterday in Sacrament Meeting, Our High Councilman stood up to announce several stake callings and releases.

I laughed out loud (oops!) when he proposed for sustaining a "Brother Don Burt" to be called as a seminary teacher.

What?!?  Afterwards, our bishop stood up and said "I have to stand up in SISTER Burt's defense, and he re-did it.

FUNNY.

I was called as a seminary teacher a couple of weeks ago.

I curse my mother often for my name!

My middle name is Alyce.

How would you say it??!!

I am glad that Bishop knows who I am!!

And they're off....

to EFY for the week!

They have been TOO excited to sleep!!!

18 years

He has been gone longer than he was alive.

Oh how we miss him!

Trek

Our boys had the opportunity to participate in Pioneer Trek last week.

They had a great time, were very hot and stinky, but loved almost every minute of it!

 Marissa and Todd and I got to participate on the Saturday of Trek.

The 12-13 year olds got to get their own families.

 Todd and I were a Ma & Pa for some of the younger kids.  Some from our family.

 More from our family.

 Marissa on the trail!

 Brandon and his awesome "Ma".

 Braden's new "family".

 The female contingent of Braden's family

 I ended up taking almost 300 pictures for the little time I was there.  This has to be one of my favorites.

 Looking hot!!  Literally!

 Getting ready to "arrive in the valley."

 Brynn on pioneer stilts

Braden saying goodbye to his "Pa".

It was a great experience had by all.  It was very hot and humid and some got poison ivy, a few had ticks, and some dehydration, but all in all, it was worth it!

I am grateful for all the leaders.  

Some have spent over 9 months working on this.  

I cannot imagine putting together an activity of this size!

I also cannot imagine being a real pioneer.  Walking as far as they did, leaving their families, homes and lives to trek across the country.

Our kids had food provided.  More than just ounces of flour.  They were able to take more than 7 pounds of possessions with them.  They only had to walk for 3 days.  The longest being around 9 miles.  

I was there for 3 miles.  It was hot, and very humid.  I was sweaty.  And my legs hurt when I climbed into my soft comfortable bed.

It definitely gave me a new appreciation for the pioneers.

1.  pioneers

2.  showers

3.  beds

4.  washing machines!

Happy Birthday!

to my second son!!

15 things we love about Brandon:

1.  he loves to have fun

2.  he does things at his own pace

3.  he won't hurry for any one

4.  he loves to play with Brynn

(maybe not always, but he is the most willing)

5.  he gets good grades

6.  he is willing to help other people

7.  he likes adventures

8.  he isn't scared of rides anywhere!

9.  he is goofy

10.  he likes what he likes

11.  he doesn't care what others think

12.  he cares about his appearance

13.  he is a shopper

14.  he is funny

15.  he is a good brother

happy birthday brando!

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday to my oldest daughter!!

12 things about her!

1.  she is funny

2.  she is very sassy

3.  she does NOT like the color pink

4.  she loves to teach Brynn school things

5.  she loves the color blue

6.  she is always happy

7.  she is a great student

8.  she is a neat freak

9.  she can hold her own with the boys

10.  she loves to Jimmer!

11.  she loves soccer

12.  she is SO excited to leave primary and go to Young Women!!!!

Soccer

Brynn started soccer.....

From what I heard, she was quite aggressive!!

I didn't see her though, I was.....

Coaching!!!

Yes, that's right, I am coaching Brynn's soccer team!

Before you laugh too hard, Brandon is helping me.  He is the one with soccer experience.  He played on the high school team in the fall.  And I was told that for this age, you didn't need any experience and they were desperate for help.  

So, I said I would help!

Fortunately, no score is kept and they are young.  I was told to work on dribbling and shooting, but these kids are pretty good.

Our next practice will consist of teaching them that

1.  there is no slide tackling allowed in soccer

2.  you should pass the ball to your teammates

3.  when the ball is on the field, you shouldn't just look at it, you need to go after it!

It was a fun morning and after these 9 weeks, I think I will be hanging up my coaching hat!

(I must say that Brynn was so excited that me and Brandon were going to be her coaches!  She didn't care that we aren't coaches!!)

Easter Baskets

The Easter bunny delivered on Saturday morning......

the kids forgot that he has come on Saturday morning for a lot of years.

Many years back we asked him to come on Saturday, as it was getting harder and harder to make it to church on time and harder and harder to remember why we celebrate Easter in the first place!

But when they woke up, they were thrilled that he came on Saturday!

Easter Egg Hunt

Brynn informed me that she has not had an Easter Egg Hunt since we left Utah and she is ready to go back so she can go to Grandma's and have a hunt!  Poor girl!  She really gets the shaft sometimes with the older kids no longer caring about this kind of stuff!

So, I did what a good mom would do and filled a bunch of eggs......then she got invited to a friend's house and had a little one there too!

So, she got two in one day and she was thrilled!!

She invited her friend over to our house after the hunt at their house and it was a 20 minute party!  

She was in heaven and that was all that mattered!

Next year, I will do a better job for my child who lives in the shaft!!